NOTA Still haunting Congress; Says it should not be used in indirect elections like Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, August 4: As the Supreme Court rejected the plea opposing use of NOTA (None of the Above) in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress party on Friday said that the NOTA should not be used in the indirect elections, adding if the Election Commission wants to make changes in the polling system then it should first do it in the Constitution.
“We believe that the NOTA should not be used in indirect elections like Rajya Sabha,” Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.

Punia said there is a proper procedure of polling for the Rajya Sabha mentioned in the Constitution and if the Election Commission wants to make changes in it, it should first bring an amendment to the Constitution first.
Meanwhile, another Congress leader Tom Vadakkan hit on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said it is not just about NOTA, but about everything taking place in Gujarat.

“For a single Rajya Sabha seat, they are taking this country for a royal ride. Questions will be asked in the public domain of what is happening for the Rajya Sabha seats,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the apex court had pulled up the Gujarat Congress, which filed plea seeking a stay on NOTA, for raising question over the use of NOTA option and said as to why it is raising the issue so late when the Election Commission had issued the notification in January 2014.

The Congress Party had on Wednesday moved the apex court against the Election Commission, challenging the introduction of NOTA option in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

The Congress Party has been protesting since the Election Commission notified that NOTA option will be available for the first time in upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

The elections of the Upper House do not take place by secret ballot as the voter has to show the marked ballot to the party’s polling agent before putting it in the ballot box.

Despite its six Gujarat MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress is leaving no stone unturned to secure the Rajya Sabha berth for its leader Ahmed Patel.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held on August 8.